Some of those vehicles comprise balancing means for keeping in equilibrium a vehicle which is running along bends or on a road inclined relative to the horizontal. These balancing means act in particular by inclination of the vehicle chassis, sometimes involving in addition a simultaneous inclination of all or some of the vehicle wheels. Known vehicles currently use such balancing means that are embodied in a manual version, wherein it is the vehicle driver (driving person) who controls the balancing means. Such is the case of the motorized tricycles like Piaggio MP3, Quadro 350, Peugeot Metroplis or Vectrix VX3.
In such vehicles the driver has himself the burden to ensure the equilibrium of the vehicle. This is not too difficult generally, but when the vehicle is running at low speed, and when its stops, it is more difficult. That solution is not convenient if the vehicle is too heavy.
At the end of stopping, if the vehicle is not stable the driver can bring it back in an upright position by putting his feet on the ground. This solution is not convenient for a closed vehicle.
To make the vehicle stable at stop, all of the above vehicles have a manual button to block the vehicle in the position it has at the moment. An automatic blocking device is never provided. This is because the vehicle could be in a non vertical position at stopping if the driver has not made it correctly. It is the reason why the driver keeps the vehicle in a vertical position, even with putting his feet on the ground, before pushing the blocking button.
Moulene and al U.S. Pat. No. 7,607,695 proposes a four wheels vehicle with balancing means. These balancing means can be controlled manually or automatically. With the manual balancing system, the driver has the same problem as the above cited tricycles, i.e. in case the vehicle is not vertical when stopping. But it is proposed that the vehicle will have righting means to upright the vehicle before it can be closed and left.
With the automatic balancing means, the vehicle of Moulene and al does not show these problems. Some other vehicles are also completely equipped with automatic balancing means. The driver has not to take care about equilibrium of the vehicle, this is made automatically. It is a great advantage. The equilibrium is fully controlled exclusively by a dedicated automatic device which for example comprises an electric actuator or a hydraulic device.
But this fully automatic balancing means needs high power, needs a very accurate system to be safe particularly at high speed or in difficult cornering or in slalom. At the end, it is a very interesting solution but with a higher cost and in quite heavy vehicle. Consequently this automatic balancing means is limited to expensive vehicles.
In some other vehicles, it was also proposed to use two moving supports to stabilize the vehicle when stopping, but this needs to have a horizontal ground.